


A Leaf in the Wind

by attic_gremlin



Series: Four Weeks of Four 2020 [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FWoF, Fix-It of Sorts, Four Weeks of Four, Gen, Introspection, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), LinkedUniverse, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:31:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25250173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attic_gremlin/pseuds/attic_gremlin
Summary: “I don’t really have a purpose like they do,” Green admitted quietly. “They’re all so deep and complex. They’re like real people. And me, I’m just… Here. Compared to them, I just… fall flat.”Green thinks he doesn't have a purpose. Wind helps him realize that he's wrong.
Relationships: Blue Link & Green Link & Red Link & Vio Link, Four & Wind (Linked Universe), Tetra (Legend of Zelda) & Wind (Linked Universe)
Series: Four Weeks of Four 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840435
Comments: 21
Kudos: 206





	A Leaf in the Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Four Weeks of Four! It's Green week on the LU discord and I'm salty about my Green boy. The manga did him dirty and gave him no personality, so I wanted to explore how that might be expressed internally. Enjoy!

There had been a pressure behind Four’s temples for a few days, a sign of needing to split. 

His companions had seen this ability before, sure, but only a couple of times, and always in battle. He’d only revealed the ability a couple of weeks prior, and until now he’d never needed to casually split. But the boys were getting restless once again. After months of staying whole, their brief freedom during battle hadn’t been enough. They’d gotten back that taste of independence, and it would be hard to let go. 

Four glanced around at his companions. They seemed at ease, carrying on casual conversation. There were no eyes on him, even at the center of the pack. He waited for a lull in the conversations around him before speaking.

“I’m going to split for a while,” He said suddenly. All eyes turned to him. “Nothing’s wrong, I just want to stretch the colors’ legs.” 

His companions shared a glance. Then, they shrugged and kept walking. He stepped onto the side of the path and let them pass by. He drew his sword and raised it high into the air-- and suddenly, he was four. 

Vio stretched his shoulders and groaned while Blue hopped from foot to foot, shaking out his stiff wrists. Red took a deep, grounding breath and Green let out a sigh of relief. It was so nice to be separate again. They couldn’t really converse when they were Four; they could communicate, but it was limited. Mostly emotions and gut feelings. Now, they could actually be together again. They could talk, and laugh, and tease, for  _ real. _ Sure, it was great feeling whole, too, when they were Four. They wouldn’t give up merging for anything. But after so long cooped up in one body, it was hard to say they hadn’t missed this. 

Green let the others wander ahead, observing his brothers. He saw Vio insert himself less than gracefully into a conversation between Time and Twilight. Blue walked casually next to Legend and complimented the dagger on his hip to break the ice. Red caught up to Wild and Hyrule just as Wild was getting into a story involving several bokoblins, a single bomb arrow, and his paraglider. 

Green fell back, bringing up the rear and enjoying the relative silence and freedom. Without sharing a headspace with three others, there was much more room for his own thoughts to flow freely; not to mention, it was easier to follow a train of thought without the others’ thoughts getting jumbled up with his own. 

In the silence, Green’s mind began to wander. Watching his brothers interacting with the others, he couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast from the way they’d been when they first split.

When the Colors were born-- created? Spawned? Split?-- none of them had known what to do. They knew their mission, yes, but how to get there was difficult to parse. Did they make a detailed plan, carefully choosing what to do and when to do it? Or did they simply improvise, relying on their strength and each other to carry them through? Should they talk to one another about the struggles they faced? Or should they keep up a hard exterior and simply cope until the job was done? Arguments were frequent, and disagreements even more so. Debates often dissolved into brawls, and grudges were held indefinitely.

The first few hours especially had been chaos. Each one had his own idea of how they should proceed, which inevitably conflicted with at least two others. Blue lashed out, Vio retreated into himself, and Red was trying not to cry. 

Green had remained stoic. He’d recognized those reactions for what they were. His brothers were terrified.  So was he.

It was all so new, being themselves. Before, they were all mixed up together, just one person getting by. Sure, they’d had struggles, but they’d never had to struggle against  _ themselves _ that way. After the split, that seemed like all they did. They’d never felt so crowded and so alone all at once. Emotions were running dangerously high, and Green was afraid someone would eventually snap. 

So, he took up the mantle. He took charge of their little ragtag group and led them towards their goal. When planning, he took into account Blue’s protective instinct, Vio’s prudence, and Red’s wisdom. He helped them get along and deescalated conflicts when they arose. He got good at mediation. 

He got to know his brothers. Blue was a hothead, but he was rarely angry  _ at _ his brothers. Usually, he was angry  _ for _ them. He would lash out because of worry or fear, but never cut deep enough to really hurt. His protective instinct ran deep, and Green could sense the love hidden under his temper. 

Red was wise beyond his years. The four of them were only sixteen, but Red sometimes seemed older than that. He could spin any situation into something positive. He was always the one to know when something was wrong, even before you did, and he was a fantastic listener. No matter what, his sympathy never felt like pity. 

Vio… was complicated. He was smart-- by the three, he was smarter than the rest of them put together. But sometimes his common sense failed him. He was impulsive, and stubborn, and didn’t always think before he spoke. At his heart, though, he really did care, even when it didn’t look like he did. Sometimes, he just had trouble saying so. 

Green loved his brothers. And he knew them, as well as he knew himself. 

Really, he knew them better than he knew himself. 

Vio was Four’s smarts. Blue was his protective instinct, and Red was his heart. What did that leave Green? Honestly, he hadn’t ever had time to figure that part out. Really, did it matter? At the time, Green assumed that once the quest ended they would remerge. They’d all be back together again and Link would be back to normal. The four of them would just… Cease. They’d become Link Smith again, just like before. And they did remerge, all flowing back into the same head. Their edges softened and melted together, and they became one.

Except, it wasn’t really like before at all. They’d become their own people, they were independent. Sure, they were technically incomplete without each other, they needed each other to be whole. If they were apart for too long, they felt an ache grow in their souls, a yearning to be complete again. But just as they felt a need to be whole when separate, sometimes when whole they felt the need to split. The colors may have been borne out of temporary need, but they were there to stay, and each color had to come to terms with that. 

So Green coped. He mediated, he led. He did what he’d been doing since that first day. He did what needed to be done. Just because he was the default, the base upon which his brothers could stand and which would raise them to their full potential, didn’t mean he got to slack off.

If he really thought about it, he was less than the default.  _ Four _ was the default, really, and Green was only one-fourth of Four. Maybe all he contributed to Four was the tunic color.

Lost in thought as he was, Green hardly noticed Wind sidle up next to him. Only when Wind called out “Four” did he jolt out of his thoughts and recognize his presence. Yet another skill he didn’t get; Vio got all of Four’s spacial awareness.

“Green, actually,” He corrected Wind (once he’d gotten his breath back).

“Oh,” Wind said. “Sorry, Green then. Is… something wrong?”

Green’s brows furrowed. Maybe he’d been too obvious with his moping. Or maybe this kid was just good; siblings had a way with these kinds of things, after all.

“I’m okay Wind, nothing to worry about.” Green assured him. He tried not to cringe at the lie. Blue would be ashamed (he got Four’s honesty). 

Wind didn’t seem the type to give up so easily, but he dropped the subject. 

“Alright. Well, do you mind if I stay, or…?” Green shook his head. Wind was a sweet kid, he was welcome anytime. He reminded Green of Red, back when they first split. They’d been around Wind’s age, then. 

“So,” Wind began casually, “What’s it like being four people sometimes?”

Green thought for a moment. 

“It’s like being brothers,” He said. “Except we need each other more than normal brothers do. We’re incomplete on our own, so sometimes we merge into one super-brother.”

Wind’s eyes widened.    
  
“I can’t imagine sharing a body with my sister,” he said. “that sounds like a headache waiting to happen,” Green laughed out loud-- he really had no idea. 

“It’s not so bad,” Green replied. “although headaches  _ are _ common. You and your sister have always been two separate people. To stick you both in one body would be against your nature. For us, we started as just one person. Four existed alone for fourteen years; It was only once he split for the first time that we came into being. When that happened, his personality split into four parts. 

“His emotions and empathy became Red, his protectiveness (and hotheadedness) became Blue, and his intelligence and strategy became Vio. We’re all just four parts of one whole, so it’s not so bad when we have to share a body. Just like the moon cycles through its phases, it always ends up whole again. That’s like us-- sometimes we need to be apart, but eventually, we’ll always become whole again.”

Green could swear there were actual stars in Wind’s eyes. Then, suddenly, his face fell. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth formed a wrinkled little pout. 

“What about you, though?” Wind asked.

Green’s stomach dropped. He’d hoped he would distract wind with that little moon analogy, but apparently Wind was more attentive than Green had anticipated. 

“Well, uh,” Green floundered. “I’m the foundation, you could say. The leader. I’m kind of… the glue, that holds the other parts together?”

Green and Wind both knew that was bullshit. An entire identity couldn’t be built on what one could do for others. 

Wind gave him a skeptical look, and Green crumbled. His face crumpled into a sardonic sort of half-smile, a bitter imitation of happiness. He’d resigned himself to his fate a long time ago.

“I don’t really have a purpose like they do,” He admitted quietly. “Blue loves so fiercely, and he’s a great fighter. He’s so strong, too, and adaptable. Vio’s a genius, he’s always growing and learning new things. He’s not only the best strategist among us, but the best smith. And Red is the most mature one out of all of us. Sometimes he seems naive, but it’s not naivety, it’s compassion and trust; it’s a choice. They’re all so deep and complex. They’re like real people. And me, I’m just… Here. I lead them because they’d be lost without someone to make the final call, and put an end to their bickering but honestly? I’m just as lost as they are. Compared to them, I just… fall flat.”

For a long time, Wind was silent. He stared ahead, his face scrunched up in thought. Green simply trudged forward, staring at the ground. His face burned; he was ashamed to have dumped all his problems on a kid. He’s supposed to be the oldest, even though he isn’t. He’s supposed to be able to handle this on his own, even though he can’t.

Finally, Wind spoke up.

“I have a friend who sometimes feels like you do,” He said. “She’s a pirate, like me. She’s the captain of her ship, but sometimes she feels like her crew doesn’t need her. Gonzo, her first mate, is a great leader. He’s strong, and has this booming voice that comes in handy for relaying orders. Honestly, he would make a pretty good captain. And that’s what makes my friend self-conscious. Her crew could get on fine without her, so, do they even need her?”

This was almost making Green feel worse. Being deluded into thinking he was a leader had been bad enough; now he was doubting if he was even needed at all. 

“It doesn’t sound like it,” Green admitted. “It sounds like her crew would be fine alone. I don’t see how this is supposed to make me feel better.” 

Wind soldiered on. 

“But that’s the thing, Green. They would be  _ fine _ alone, but they could never  _ excel. _ Tetra’s pirate ship is one of the most feared on the seas. Sure, Gonzo would be an alright leader, but he isn’t  _ her _ . She has this spark, a certain spunk that makes her unique. She comes up with the most creative ideas, and her instincts are more reliable than the tides. She brings something all her own to the table, and it’s only because of her that they become truly great.”

Wind turned to face the afternoon sun, closing his eyes to bask in its warmth.

“It’s hard to see sometimes, because she’s not as smart as Mako, and she’s not as strong as Nudge. Senza’s got a silver tongue she could never compete with, and Niko’s the best storyteller on the ship. But that’s not where Tetra’s talents lie; instead, she excels in determination, motivation, and instinct. She’s decisive and clear-headed, and her confidence inspires her crew. Green, I think you’re like Tetra. I think you don’t see it, because your brothers outshine you sometimes, but the quiet determination I see in you even in the short time I’ve known you is undeniable. You’re not the foundation beneath their feet, Green, you’re the wind at their backs.”

Before Wind was even finished, silent tears were streaming down Green’s face. He’d never felt so…  _ seen. _ Everything Wind had said about his friend, Tetra… it was true for him, too. Green felt a weight on his shoulders lessen, and the knot in his stomach loosened just a bit. One rousing speech couldn’t undo the past two years of self-doubt, but it was the push Green had needed to get the process started. He stopped in his tracks and Wind turned to look at him. His peaceful expression shattered into something like worry. 

“Oh, I didn’t-- Green, I’m sorry if I--” Wind stammered, taking a tiny step forward. He held out a hand hesitantly like he wanted to offer comfort, but wasn’t sure how. 

Green cut off his rambling and flung himself at Wind, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. He may not have been the best with words, but he didn’t have to be. He could express his gratitude just fine this way, and when Wind returned the hug with a warmth only a big brother could perfect, Green knew he understood. 

**Author's Note:**

> Four Weeks of Four runs all month, so be on the lookout for companion pieces in the coming weeks!
> 
> Fun Fact: The first draft of this had exactly 2500 words completely by accident. Unfortunately I had to trim it down in editing but it was a fun coincidence!


End file.
